Practices for Improving the Coordination of Information Technology and Transportation Systems Management and Operations Resources: A Reference Document

Chapter 2. The Context and Benefits of Information Technology and TSMO Coordination

This chapter describes the importance of IT and TSMO coordination in the context of public-sector transportation agencies. A brief history of IT and TSMO development and evolution within transportation agencies highlights the differences in approach and function that may influence the current environment, while an examination into the overlapping technology highlights the benefit of continued coordination. The chapter concludes with a table and discussion summarizing what agencies have determined to be beneficial for IT staff to know about TSMO, and what they have determined to be beneficial for TSMO staff to know about IT. The table and discussion provide context to many of the subsequent common challenge and identified practice discussions in the remainder of the document.

As the transportation industry continually evolves to take advantage of the emergence of new technologies and incorporating technology in all aspects of agency business, there is increasing interaction between TSMO programs and IT oversight and support functions. These interactions reflect a dual role for many IT organizations. IT organizations support TSMO and ITS technology and communications efforts, and they may also have an oversight and approval role for certain aspects of TSMO and ITS technology implementations, particularly for security and procurement. With these additional interactions, agency staff have identified a greater need for each group to understand the business requirements of the other.

In transportation agencies, there are evolving customer expectations of technology and tools, from both internal and external customers, as well as increased concerns over potential threats that are posed by cybersecurity breaches in an increasingly connected workplace. The potential threats are posed to both organizational enterprise IT applications (like email or access to the web) and internal business systems. Because of these threats and the need to cost-effectively procure technology that will meet the wide-ranging needs of transportation agencies, agencies emphasize providing centralized expertise and oversight to protect technology investments and services and to support the operational mission of public agencies.

History of Information Technology in Transportation Agencies

The dual role of IT organizations (protecting and regulating IT assets and providing customer service for groups desiring information technology support) and the increasing number of technology solutions deployed by TSMO organizations led many agencies to recognize the importance of mutual understanding between IT and TSMO groups. This mutual understanding is somewhat hampered by the way each group developed. The role of IT within transportation agencies has evolved over time as ITS evolved from an early traffic management focus to the more complex multiple strategies of TSMO. This evolution includes both its role in back-office business applications, as well as in the systems and technology supporting TSMO strategies themselves.

Early Information Technology Support of Agency Business Functions

IT groups came into being to develop and support complex agency business applications, such as accounting and personnel management, that were primarily operated offline in “batch” mode by large mainframe computers. While the physical scale of the hardware was large, the processing capabilities were limited to set functions with relatively restricted interfaces. Input was largely done through punch cards, magnetic tape, or simple keyboards. Output was normally stored on magnetic tape or printed. As functionality increased in the late 1970s and 1980s, users were able to provide varied input through modular terminals or consoles.

Structured IT resources within transportation agencies developed in earnest as agencies began switching from mainframe computing to personal computers. The adoption of personal computers in the 1980s and 1990s required agencies to decentralize, establish networks, and support a growing number of new software applications. The increased technical resources necessary to manage the new hardware and varied software was significantly greater than in the past and initiated the “information technology” groups that are common today.

Initial Independence of TSMO Applications

Separate from the above business-based computing, technology directly supporting transportation functions largely developed independently. Initiating and expanding these traffic systems were often completed without direct support of IT resources because the technology was specialized and located within a branch of the organization without high volume business (customer) transactions.

In the 1970s and 1980s, traffic management systems (the precursor to ITS) operated in real-time on microprocessor-based field devices along with centralized mini-computers. Because these systems did not need to integrate into the wider agency technology ecosystem, they often operated on dedicated communication lines and networks entirely independent of other State agency systems. Software packages were also stand-alone. The traffic management systems were often programmed in assembler code and FORTRAN, whereas many of the standard IT applications used for business processes were programmed in business-oriented languages like COBOL.

These differences in devices and applications and the related computing platforms and languages led IT groups and ITS groups within transportation agencies to develop separate networks, equipment, and distinct business practices. The differences also led to separate organizational components with minimal overlap and understanding between IT and ITS staff. Often, staff within one agency’s ITS unit did not see value in involving IT staff in a technology project because they did not think that IT staff understood the operations business requirements, especially real-time, 24/7 operations. Rather than educate the IT staff on the ITS units’ priorities, the managers developed their own “shadow IT” group within the Operations Division to implement technology projects.

As more sophisticated transportation management systems developed and expanded, transportation agencies started to see the value in integrating systems to share data and provide an integrated user interface to allow multiple systems to be monitored and controlled from a single workstation. The development of ITS placed more emphasis on integrating systems, which led to the development of the National ITS Architecture. The growth of transportation management systems also led to huge growth in the number of field devices that are connected to a central management system. Transportation agencies developed multi-purpose communication networks to provide the connection and the bandwidth to support applications, like transmitting live, full-motion closed-circuit television (CCTV) images. The transportation management communication networks were completely separate from the agency’s internal telecommunication networks, which were developed to support increased business needs, like email. IT staff managed the business communication network, and transportation management staff managed the transportation management communication network.

Increasing Role of Information Technology in TSMO

Today, new technology, big data, and the continuous operation of field devices has turned transportation agencies into heavy IT users. Virginia DOT has identified how IT and TSMO—a specific type of operational technology (OT)—have grown closer together and have significant overlap (figure 1). As the Virginia DOT Director of Technology and Cybersecurity observed, “Unlike the past, many new technologies fall under both IT and OT, further driving the need for convergence between the two.”¹

Figure 1. Venn diagram. The overlap of information technology and operation technology.
(Source: M. Rao, Virginia Department of Transportation.)

As agencies transition from traditional project-focused agencies to operations-focused agencies, TSMO efforts are becoming more complex and integrated across platforms and jurisdictions. Internal systems are no longer single suites, but a system of systems. A range of changes has led to increased intersection between TSMO and IT, including:

• Advances in TSMO application-specific technology have led to an increasing reliance on agency-owned and operated ITS field equipment.
• Advanced TSMO strategies, such as Integrated Corridor Management and Active Transportation and Demand Management, make heavy demands on decision support systems and associated communication networks and software.
• Extensive deployment of wireless and fiber networks with associated networking equipment.
• Importance of transportation management centers (TMC) where data is collected, transferred, evaluated, and often remotely operated.
• Integration and sharing of crowdsourced data.
• A wider range of data formats from analog to digital, text value to video, periodic to continuous, and so forth.
• External partnerships, developed from data sharing or monetization, and cloud-based computing increase the importance of risk management and cybersecurity.
• Emerging technology and application trends such as reliance on edge computing, distributed hardware or networks, cloud-based services, mobile access, CAV integration, and a general exploration of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication.

Taken together, these systems make heavy demands on hardware maintenance, software support, network IT, communication (fiber) knowledge, and other IT-related resources. It is important to consider and understand the hierarchy of importance of various TSMO devices and systems. Moving from isolated devices to linked TSMO systems requiring extensive IT expertise is a spectrum. There is value for agencies to have clarity in thinking through what field assets can be more isolated or stand-alone, which are connected to a main system via a communications network (requiring IT support) but in an observation-only capacity (we can “see” what the ramp meters are doing, but not alter their state remotely), and those that are fully connected for central control and often include data sharing with external organizations (generally requiring extensive IT support). This also relates to cybersecurity and ITS devices and systems. Some devices and systems are more critical than others. An understanding of what is most important for fail-safe operations is key. A loop detector failing is probably not an immediate critical failure, whereas a signal control system or reversible lane control system failure is critical. It is important to understand that there is flexibility and hierarchy of needs for IT resources within the TSMO environment.

For the more complex systems, IT support is crucial. While “shadow IT” staff within a traffic group could support previous ITS elements, advanced strategies and systems are becoming more IT-centric and require a dedicated team of IT professionals for support. As a result, TSMO and IT increasingly intersect and create both opportunities and challenges for increasing cooperation and coordination. Opportunities include the ability to collaborate, leverage respective skill sets, and gain advantages in procurement and maintaining IT infrastructure. Challenges include disconnects, misunderstandings, and points of conflict on program priorities, risks, and potential difference in standards for availability and redundancy for enterprise ITS versus including industrial control systems and supervisory control and data acquisition-type environments.

Point of Departure: Difference Between TSMO and Information Technology Environments

This project’s literature review, workshops, and stakeholder interviews found that improved coordination and collaboration between TSMO and IT is often grounded in a basic understanding of key differences in perspectives, roles, and processes that characterize the differences between the two disciplines. Until recently, TSMO and IT staff supporting a transportation agency may not have extensive exposure to each other’s mission or operational responsibilities. This could be a function of physical location, organizational structure, processes, or lack of opportunity. Regardless of the reason for separation, there is benefit in understanding the general perspectives, roles, and practices of the other group when working together.

Overcoming Domain Differences

Prior to detailing key challenges, principles, and strategies for improving TSMO and IT coordination and collaboration, it is important to address these differences and identify what staff and management in each group identify as important know about the other’s basic views and perspectives. In the following section, selected key differences and similarities are highlighted that crosscut the subsequent discussion of specific challenges presented in subsequent chapters and provide an important background for enhanced mutual understanding. These differences are both institutional in nature (including both general perspectives and roles) and process-related (focusing on certain key practices on each side).

The key differences between TSMO and IT perspectives, roles, and practices have been grouped into six areas:

• Discipline governing principles.
• Domain components.
• Risk management.
• Standards and architecture.
• Devices and assets.
• Future technologies.

There has been some experience to date in overcoming these differences. In the discussion of each area below, some examples from specific agencies are provided to illustrate these differences.

Discipline Governing Principles

Governing principles reflect the orientation of a discipline and how they are embodied in an organization and its basic practices on a day-to-day basis. For the TSMO professionals, those principles focus on ensuring safe and efficient day-to-day operational control of the transportation network. This requires not only complex application-specific transportation management infrastructure and processes but also interfacing with external players who are key partners in service provision. It is also important to the safety and efficiency of the network that management system elements are available whenever they are needed, regardless of the time of day or day of week. TSMO staff emphasize uptime of transportation management systems and component parts and structure their support to respond accordingly.

The IT role is typically broad based across multiple Government agencies, and functions with communication and information needs. This results in a dual role, providing cost-effective IT solutions for other business lines or organizations, as well as acting as stewards of IT assets within their jurisdiction. Thus, IT staff may act as service providers to their customer organizations, such as TSMO units, while they must also enforce policies to safeguard the entire enterprise technology environment. These policies typically deal with procurement, securing the communication network, or data governance consistent with standards and practices established at the governmental level. Sometimes these policies do not seem to align with the expeditious conduct of TSMO staff missions. However, it is important for TSMO staff to understand these roles and work with IT staff to find solutions that will comply with both sets of governing principles.

One example of emerging practice is illustrated below by the experience of Florida DOT in clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the TSMO and IT groups.

Chapter 3 addresses key challenges relating to domain components in terms of organization, staff, and financial resources.

Domain Components

The functions served by each discipline determine the structure of the key functional components of each domain, including business units and their characteristic systems and devices.

For TSMO, the domains consist of field devices and third-party data sources, central servers, and the communication components that link them, which are substantially managed out of a TMC. While TSMO has key back-office, information-based activities in a TMC, most of the assets are in the field, presenting a significant difference compared to other functions and services supported by IT. Operating, troubleshooting, and maintaining devices in a field setting with its safety and security implications presents different challenges compared to the office environment that characterizes most IT contexts.

IT domains consist of data centers or back-office systems, database systems, and the internal and external network communications that link them. Physical devices and assets are primarily business-oriented, rather than operations-oriented, and are located in an office environment. Security of the networks and assets is essential. The TSMO and ITS functions are only a small subset of most Statewide or agency-wide IT domains, which are quite large.

One example of an emerging practice is illustrated below, in which an issue of TSMO field network needs versus Statewide network limitations was resolved.

Chapter 3 addresses key challenges relating to domain components in terms of organization, staff, and financial resources.

Risk Management and Security

Although both TSMO staff and IT staff may use the same or similar tools to manage risks, their views of what constitute risks and the severity of given risks may be quite different.

For TSMO staff, the most important risks deal with external customer life-safety issues and providing a safe transportation system. Failure of transportation system elements for any reason when they are needed is essentially a system failure and pose significant risks to the traveling public. These risks are greatest when the elements are needed most, during period of high congestion or traffic disruptions and emergencies. Thus, TSMO risk management emphasizes the need for systems and devices to fail-safe or fail-soft and the need to schedule troubleshooting and maintenance with minimum impact of real-time systems operations.

Risks from the perspective of IT staff are viewed from a system integrity perspective, often on a jurisdiction-wide basis. It is important to have the entire IT network, data, and other IT assets protected from unauthorized intrusion because this can compromise the entire enterprise network, including financial systems and private data. Thus, the IT focus within TSMO must not only accomplish the needs of the TSMO organization but also protect the enterprise network from intrusion and protect the confidentiality, integrity, and reliability of agency data.

One example of emerging practice is illustrated below, in which an issue of security of data sharing and network access was solved through structured data-sharing agreements.

Chapter 3 addresses key challenges related to risk management and security.

Standards and Architecture

While both TSMO and IT have discipline-specific criteria, TSMO criteria are embedded in systems architectures that have their own demands.

TSMO has a strong, systems engineering basis with a specialized approach to the architecture needed for efficient deployment and operations of TSMO applications, combining communications, control, information, and supporting hardware and software. Federal programs have introduced requirements for ITS systems engineering² and a National ITS Architecture.³

Voluntary or non-Federal IT standards typically revolve around a broad set of security, technology compatibility, and a variety of developed hardware and software standards that serve the full range of IT services and applications across multiple activities and agencies at the agency or Statewide levels. IT staff need to comply with State legal or State CIO mandated standards and policies that serve the full range of IT services provided, whether for transportation or other agencies. While there are formal, non-Federal IT certifications for network management, project management, system design and development (examples include Cisco Certified Network Professional and Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert, Microsoft Azure and Dynamics 365, Project Management Institute (PMI) Project Management Professional), most organizations do not require these certifications for an employee to work on a particular technology component.

One example of an emerging practice is illustrated below, in which the challenges of integrating disparate TSMO systems deployed over a long-time horizon is being addressed by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT).

Chapter 3 addresses key challenges associated with standards related to systems and technology.

Devices and Assets

There are significant differences in how TSMO and IT devices and systems are managed and maintained, partially because of the differences discussed previously. TSMO assets are mission critical, and the processes for maintaining and repairing TSMO devices are specific to devices and locations that have limited physical access and downtime constraints. Because transportation field equipment generally lasts longer than most IT devices due to their hardened nature, the result is often a mix of new and legacy equipment that requires a broad range of troubleshooting and repair skills to maintain. Aside from the technology and physical location challenges, transportation systems often include multiple agencies, which involves data sharing and collaboration with multiple partner organizations.

IT systems are applied to a wide range of functions within and among agencies and across the networks and standardized equipment of entire jurisdictions. Configuration management, data governance, and data management are becoming more important features of managing IT systems, for which IT staff need to have access to both equipment and data, which in turn introduces challenges of system and data access control and identity verification. Procurement and licensing of software and technology are often managed on a jurisdiction-wide basis with both financial and performance implications regarding the special needs and priorities on any specific agency or unit.

One example of emerging practice is illustrated below, in which a holistic lifecycle approach was introduced to support the role of IT in maintaining and replacing ITS devices and systems.

Chapter 3 addresses the key challenges associated with managing systems in terms of systems and technology, procurement, and risk/security.

Future Technologies

Although many of the underlying future technologies will be the same for both TSMO systems and IT systems, there are some notable differences.

The technologies that will be incorporated into transportation systems will largely focus on efficiency improvements and utilizing expanded data sources to improve transportation control systems and decision-making. Technologies that support connected and automated vehicles, Smart Cities, mobility on demand, and other emerging concepts will be critical to meet growing transportation needs and challenges.⁴ Technologies used will often be substantially driven by the market and often initiated by the private sector.

The technologies that will be incorporated into IT systems will be driven by evolving internal business needs across an agency. Trends include a movement toward more cloud storage and cloud-computing, mobile access, and more reliance on increasingly sophisticated web services. These technologies will allow a greater independence from specific physical assets and locations. Flexibility, physical security and cybersecurity, and a reduction in capital investments will be the drivers in adopting new technologies for IT.

One example of emerging practice is illustrated below, in which a TSMO program uses outside technical support to obtain special technical capabilities.

Chapter 3 addresses the key challenges associated with future challenges in terms of systems and technologies.

Summarizing Differences on Perspective

This section highlighted the differences in perspectives and program management priorities between TSMO and IT professionals. These distinctions are summarized in table 1.

By examining the table, one can highlight some potential important differences in perspective between IT staff and TSMO staff. These differences demonstrate varying understanding of terminology, practices, policies, focus areas, and viewpoints.